Wheel



0d. 16,1923. 1,471,161 H. A. HOUSE, JR

WHEEL Filed March 26. 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 50 shown in the drawing. The diierence be- Patented Oct. 16, 1923.

UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE.A`

HENRY A. HOUSE, J' R., 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSAIGNOR TO WIRE WHEEL CORPORA- '1.ION OF AMERICA, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, 1A CORPORATION OF YORK.

'WHEEL E Application led 'March 26, .1919. Serial No. 285,203.

To all whom it may concern.' l.

Beit known 'that I, HENRY A. HOUSE, junior, a citizen of the United States, and .resident of Buffalo, ErieCounty, State of 5 New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements .in Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wheels and particularly in wheels designed for sustaining heavy loads, as in the case oi' wheels used on automobile trucks and similar heavy road vehicles.

One object of this invention is to provide a strong wheel of thedisk type with a minimum number of parts and maximum amount of strength.

Another object of thisinvention is to provide a rim and intermediate unit which can be substituted for the rim and spokes of a wood wheel without any change in the hub construction or any change in the center line 'of the tread.

Further objects of this invention will ap` pea'r from a consideration of the specification and of the drawings annexed thereto which form a, part thereof and in which- Fig. `l, is a side View partly br-Qken awayl of a rear wheel embodying this invention;

Fig. 2,-is a section 'taken'l along the line l e0 22 of Fig. 1. .I A The disks are turned at their edges to Fig. 3, is a side view similar to` Fig. 1 of, form annular flanges 27 on which the rims a front wheel embodying this invention; 2 8 of the riml unit C are secured in any de Fig; 4, is a section taken along the lines 'iredmanner such as by spot welding. 4-4 of Fig. 3. .'The rim, disks and spider are thus firmly This invention relates to a wheel compris'- secured together and can be handled as a ing a hub unit A, an intermediate unit B, single member. The width of this member, and a rim unit C. where it engages the hub, is the same as that of a wooden wheel, and the center line is the lThe hub unit A is of the usual form and I comprises the main hub member 10 and the same so that the substitution of this member for awooden wheel does not change the clamping sleeve or nut 11. The main member has a cylindrical portion 12, over whichV tread. Y

Furthermore, as will be pointed out be 4slides the sleeve 11, and has also a radial flange 13 which has a curved juncture 14. low, the member 1s adapted to be secured in with the hub member 10. On the clampingr lace by the same means Vas a, wooden wheel. sleeve 11 is a iiange 15 which corresponds to the flange 13 and these flanges Serve to hold the intermediateunit B in yosition. This description of the ub unit applies tothe various embodiments of this invention Referrin to the drawings the intermediate unltv comprises two sets of circular disks 16 and 17 separated and supported by a circular spider 18. The spider 18 has at lts center an annularopening 19, the diameter of which is substantially `the same as the outside diameter of the cylindrical portion 12 of the hub 'member 10. w

The spider 18 hasintegral flanges 20 around the opening 19. These flan es form seats 21 for the sets of disks 16 an 17 and the-'curve 14 of the flange 13. The width. of each iange` 20 is the same as the thickness of the set of disks supported by the spider 7. Openings are cut in the spider to reduce weight as much as possible -without aectng its strength and to provide radially extending ribs 40. F Y

The'sets 16 and 17 here shown comprise two disks 22 and 23 each of which has acenter opening so that they can be slipped over and seated on the fianges 2O.` Thedi-sks So seated are firmly fastened to the spider 18 by any suitable means. As here shown the disks are clamped by rivets 24 through the spider near the central o ening 19 and by end-s of the ribs 40.

wooden wheel without any change in the hub construction.

When assembling the united intermediate unit and rim are slipped over the cylindrical;

he rounded edge of the spider engages the curved juncture 14 as do the curved hilts-of the wooden Spokes. The clamping sleeve 11 is now-slid over thehub member and the tween these embodiments rests in the form of intermediate unit B and rim unit C employed. These various embodiments will, i therefore, be separately discussed m detail.

are.vrounded at the edges to correspond to` t can, therefore, be substituted for a portion 12.of the hub against the flange 13..

bolts or rivets 25 throug bosses 26 at lthe mediate unit and rim is, therefore, symmet.

flange 15 is'placed against the intermediate unit. The usual bolts 29 connecting the iiianges 18 and 15 pass through the vdisksand spider and clamp the intermediate member in place. Bosses 30, throughoutwhich the bolts 29 pass, are formed on the spider to hold the disks 16 and 17 against compression.

The construction and assembly so far described applies to both front and rear wheels. These wheels, however, differ somewhat in certain essential details andA will be considered separately.

The rear wheel 3l is provided with a double tire and in order to firmly hold the wide rim the outer disks 23 are bent outward at an angle of approximately 45 beyond the periphery of the spider 1S as shown at 32. rlhe inclined portions 32 brace the outer edges of the rim against side shock and are secured to it through the flange 2? 1 as described above.

Hooks 33 for tire chains are riveted to the inclined portions 3Q as at 3a, supplemental stiiiening plates being provided, and in addition the clamping bolts 25 pass through the innerends 35 of the hooks so that they are firmly held in place.

hastened to the wheel 3l is a brake drum 36' which fits over the flanges 13 and between the flanges and the inner ends 35 of the hook. The drum is secured to the intermediate unit B in the usual manner by bolts 37 which pass through the disks and spider, bosses 38 similar to bosses 30, being provided on the spider.

The rear member comprising the interrical and reversible, except for the brake drum which, as will be noted, can be secured equally well to either side of the intermediate member. This construction permits a reversal ofthe wheel, as for 4example when the wear due to road conditions is practically all on one side of the tire.

.ln the front wheel 39 as shown in Figures 3 and d the 'disks 22 and 23 are identical and interchangeable. Upon assembling the inner disks 22 are arranged with the flanges 27 inward while the outer disks 23 are arranged with the flanges outward. The

number of dili'erent parts is thus reducedand the rim 28 is supported throughout its inner surface.

While certain forms only of this invention have been shown and described it will be understood that l do not desire to be limited thereto but wish to cover all other embodiments that come within the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the annexed claims.

l claim:

i. A wheel comprising in combination a huh, a rim, a plurality of disks joined to said rim, means separating said disks into two sets, said means contacting with the disks at the hub and along a circumferential line intermediate the hub and the rim means fastenino1 said disks to said separating means and bolts clamping said hub,

.disks and separating means together.

k2. A wheel comprising in combination a hub, a rim, a plurality of disks joined to said rim, means separating said disks into two sets, said means including a. plurality of radially ext/ending ribs to which said disks are secured and a ring at the outer ends of said ribs, means fastening said disks to said separating means and bolts clamping said hub, disks and separating means to` gether.

3. in a` wheel, an intermediate unit joining the wheel rim to the hub and comprising an annular member adapted to slip over the hub, disks seated upon and fastened to said member. and radially extending ribs separating said disks, said ribs being secured adjacent to their outer end to said disks.

4. A wheel having in combination a hub unit, a rim unit, an intermediate unit comprising a circular spider, a plurality of disks at each side of said spider and secured to said rim unit and means clamping said disks and spider to said hub unit.

er wheel hav-ing in combination a hub unit, said unit comprising a member having a cylindrical portion and a flange projecting radially therefrom and an annular clamping member slidable over the cylindrical portion of the first member and having a radial flange, an intermediate unit `comprising an annular spider slidable over the cylindrical portion of the first hub unit member, and two sets of disks secured one at each side of' said spider, each of said disks at its outer edge being provided with an annular flange, said intermediate unit being positioned on the cylindrical portion of the hub unit member between and secured to the danges of said unit, and a rim unit positioned upon and secured to the annular flanges of the disks of said intermediate unit.

6. A wheel having in combination a hub unit and an intermediate unit, said intermediate unit comprising a spider having annular rows of bosses, a plurality of disks arranged at each side of said spider having annular rows of holes corresponding to said annular rows of bosses and clamping means passing through said inner and outer rows of holes and bosses to rigidly securel said spider and disks together, said hub unit having radial lianges extending each side of said intermediate unit and having anannular `row of holes corresponding to the mediate s 10 the flange to brace the rim against side shock.

8. A wheel having in combination a hub, a spider mounted thereon, two disks secured to each side of said spider, annular flanges at the outer edges of said disks, a rim secured to said flanges, each outer disk lhaving an annular outwardly inclined portion below the flange to brace the rim against side shock and hooks mounted on said inclined portions.

9. An intermediate wheel unit comprising a circular spider having a central annular opening, flanges on said spideraround said opening, circular disks seated on said flanges at each side of said spider, bosses on said spideragainst which said disks rest and means passing through said disks and said bosses for securing said disks in place upon said spider.

l0. A wheel having in combination a hub unit, an intermediate unit mounted thereon,

said unit comprising a spider and two disks on eachside of and secured to said'spider, said disks having annular flanges at their periphery, the flanges of the inner disks on each side of the spider being inward and the flanges on the outer disk on each side of the spider being outward, and a rim unit carried by and fastened to said flanges.

11. An intermediate unit comprisin a spider and four' interchangeable disks mounted thereon, two on each side, said disks having annular perpendicular flanges at their periphery, each flange being one half the Width of said spider, the flanges on the disks adjacent to the spider yextending inward and meeting and the flanges on the other disks extending out-ward whereby the four flanges form a continuous cylindrical surface at right angles to the faces of the disks.

12. In a wheel structure, the combination ofa spider member provided with radial arms and a pair of oppositely extending central annular flanges, a pair of wheel discs connected to said spider with their inner edges engaging said flanges and contacting with the edges of said arms, anda rim carried by said discs.

In testimony whereof I alhx my signature.

HENRY A. HOUSE, JR. 

